Method for producing a flap pocket and an item having the flap pocket

ABSTRACT

A method for producing a flap pocket in a panel of an item comprises forming in the panel a slit having a preselected contour to define a flap having a body integral with the panel. An aperture is formed in the panel at a location outside of the slit. Thereafter, a pocket having a lateral opening is attached around the aperture so that the lateral opening is positioned over the flap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for producing a flap pocket ina garment panel.

The present invention also relates to an item, such as a garment, bag,suitcase or similar item, comprising such a pocket.

2. Background Information

In order to produce such a flap pocket, it is known to form a straightslit in the material of the panel of the garment or other item and toattach a flap along the upper edge of the slit.

This method has various disadvantages. From the aesthetic point of view,the flap forms a break with respect to the garment panel, and it does sofor three reasons: the stitching of the flap emphasises the separation,the texture and/or the pattern of the material of the flap are notstrictly aligned with those of the garment panel, and the flap has atendency to stay open, that is to say, to be placed in an obliqueposition with respect to the garment panel. Furthermore, the attachingof the flap to the garment panel can lack strength and/orwater-tightness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is therefore to propose a pocket structureand a method for producing it which overcome the disadvantages mentionedabove.

According to the invention, the method for producing a flap pocket in apanel of an item is characterized in that it comprises the followingsteps:

a) forming, in the material of the item panel, a slit having a U-shapedcontour in such a way as to define, inside the U, a flap body which isintegral with the item panel, and forming, outside of the U, an aperturein the item panel; and

b) attaching around the aperture a pocket having a lateral openingpositioned such that it is under the flap.

Thus, rather than preserving the material of the garment panel or otheritem panel intended to be under the flap, and which is consequentlyinvisible unless the flap is raised, the invention foresees producingthe flap in one piece with the material of the garment panel. On theother hand, an aperture is formed in the garment panel but this aperturemay be both partially closed by the pocket and at least partiallyconcealed by the flap.

Preferably, in order to better conceal the whole of the aperture, or abigger portion of the latter, there is attached along the mobile edgesof the flap body a flap edging which enlarges the flap with respect tothe dimensions of the U-shaped slit.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method, there is attached,for example to the flap edging, a counter flap covering the inside faceof the flap body.

The pocket can then also be attached to the counter flap in the vicinityof or above a line substantially corresponding to the axis ofarticulation of the flap with the item panel.

According to another object of the invention, the item comprising a flappocket obtained in particular by a method according to the invention ischaracterized in that the flap comprises a flap body which extends thepanel of the item containing the pocket and is formed in a single pieceof material with said panel, whilst the material of the item panel hasan aperture under the flap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from thefollowing description relating to non-limitative embodiments.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows, in half-views in its left-hand and right-hand sections,two successive steps of the method according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows, in the right-hand half-view, a third step of the method,and in the left-hand half-view, a piece of edging used in this thirdstep;

FIG. 3 shows a fourth step of the method according to FIG. 1, only theflap edging and the counter flap being shown in the right hand sectionof the figure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along IV--IV of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective half-views of two other steps of themethod, seen from the inside of the item;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are cross-sections along VII--VII, VII, VIII--VIII andIX--IX respectively of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the result of the operation shown inFIG. 6, seen from the outside of the item;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view seen from inside the item showing thepocket bottom during fitting (right hand section of the figure) andfitted (left hand section of the figure) respectively;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the assembly to be produced for asecond embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 13 and 14 are vertical cross-sectional and external perspectiveviews, respectively, of the flap pocket obtained with the embodimentshown in FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, a, garment, taken as anexample of an item, comprises a panel 1 (FIG. 1), in which there isformed, for example by means of a punch, a slit 2 which is generallyU-shaped and whose leg portions 2a, 2b have free ends 3 directed upwardsand forked into a Y-shape. The U-shaped slit 2 defines, inside the U, aflap body 4 and, outside the U, an aperture 6 in the garment panel 1.Although the slit in the present invention is described as having acontour in the shape of a U, it is understood that the slit could haveany contour that may be desired for aesthetic or other reasons.

The two corners of the flap body 4 are then cut like a bevel 7 in orderto define around the flap body 4 a central tab 8 and two lateral tabs 9.The central tab 8 is defined between the two bevels 7. Each lateral tab9 is defined between one of the bevels 7 and the inside arm 11 of thecorresponding forked end 3.

Then, as shown in the right hand section of FIG. 1, the tabs 8 and 9 areturned through 180° against the inside of the flap body 4. This causes aU-shaped opening 12 to appear between the aperture 6 and the flap body4.

A flap edging 13 is prepared separately and made from a piece of flatmaterial which is generally U-shaped. In this piece of flat material,there is made a sloped slit 14 starting from each of its two concavecorners in order to define a central internal tab 16 and two internallateral tabs 17. As shown in the right hand section of FIG. 2, the threeinternal tabs 16 and 17 are turned through 180° and this gives theedging 13 an internal contour corresponding exactly with the externalcontour of the flap body 4 with the tabs 8 and 9 turned back. However,the two arms of the edging 13 are longer than the corresponding lateraledges of the flap body 4.

The flap edging 13 is placed around the flap body 4 in such a way thatthe tabs 16 and 17 of the edging flap 13 are turned back on the sameside as the tabs 8 and 9 with respect to the plane of the flap body 4and of the flap edging 13. The flap edging 13 is then connected to theflap body 4 by stitching 18 formed along the mobile edges of the flapbody 4. The stitching 18 (see also FIG. 7) is carried out substantiallyin the plane of the flap body 4 and of the flap edging 13 and itconnects the folds, located back to back, of the flaps 8 and 9 on theone hand and 16 and 17 on the other hand.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, there is formed, by folding back the flapedging 13 through 180° on the same side as the internal tabs 16 and 17,a peripheral central tab 19 and two peripheral lateral tabs 21. By thisoperation, the width of the arms 22 of the edging 13 is reduced suchthat it is substantially equal to the width L (FIG. 1) of the Y formedby each forked end 3 of the U-shaped slit 2. Each forked end 3 definesbetween its inside branch 11 and its outside branch 23, a triangularneatness flap 24. The flaps 24 are turned back (FIGS. 3 and 4) towardsthe inside of the garment panel, by rotation through 180° about an axis26, in such a way as to release an opening 25 (FIG. 4) in the garmentpanel at each forked end of the U-shaped slit. The end region 27 of thecorresponding arm 22 of the flap edging 13 is then engaged in eachopening 25. This end region 27 is therefore then on the internal side ofthe garment panel, see also FIG. 4.

At this stage, a counter flap 28 which covers the entire rear surface ofthe flap body 4 and of the flap edging 13 is attached to the peripheraltabs 19 and 21 of the flap edging 13. The counter flap 28 itself has aperipheral central tab 19 and two peripheral lateral tabs 31 by which itis attached to the peripheral tabs 19 and 21 respectively of the flapedging 13. The upper edge 32 of the counter flap 28 substantiallycoincides with the upper end of the arms 22 of the flap edging 13.

FIG. 5 shows the situation seen from the inside of the garment panel 1after the operations which have just been described. In the garmentpanel 1 there are produced, starting from the concave corners of theaperture 6, oblique cuts 33 which define along the aperture 6 a centraltab 34 and two lateral tabs 36 which are turned through 180° against theinside face of the garment panel 1 as indicated by the circular arrows37.

FIG. 6 also shows the situation seen from the rear of the garment panel.Facing the counter flap 28 and the turned back tabs 34 and 36 of theaperture of the garment panel 1, there are presented two pieces offabric 38, 39, folded through 180° in such a way that their folds 41 and42 are located facing each other with the fabric of each piece extendingaway from the other piece starting from the respective fold. With regardto the piece 38, the fold 41 forms the limit between an upper face panel43 of the pocket and an outer upper panel 44 of the pocket. With regardto the part 39, the fold 42 forms the limit between a lower face panel46 of the pocket and a lower cuter panel 47 of the pocket. The facepanels 43 and 46 are located between the counter flap 28 and the outerpanels 44 and 47.

The upper face panel 43 and the upper outer panel 44 are connected tothe counter flap 28 by central stitching 48, and to the tabs 36 by twolateral stitchings 52 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 6). Thestitching 48 extends along a line 49 of the counter flap 28 adjacent tothe future axis of articulation of the flap with respect to the garmentpanel 1, and along a corresponding line 51 of the upper face panel 43and of the upper outer panel 44 of the pocket. The stitching 48 will atthe same time connect the ends 27 of the edging 13 and the neatnessflaps 24 to the counter flap 28 and the piece 38, see also FIG. 9. Eachstitching 52 connects both the articulation line 53 of the correspondingtab 36 and a corresponding line 34 of the upper face panel 43 and of theupper outer panel 44. The line 54 furthermore comprises an extension 56across the lower face panel 46 and the lower outer panel 47, such thatthe stitchings 52 also contribute to attaching the lower face panel 46and the lower outer panel 47 to the periphery of the aperture 6. Thusthe two pieces 38 and 39 are positioned accurately with respect to eachother.

Furthermore, stitchings 57 and 58 connect the lower part of thearticulation line 53 of the tab 36 and the articulation line 59 of thecentral tab 34 of the aperture 6 with corresponding lines 61 and 62,respectively, of the lower face panel 46. The stitchings 57 and 58 donot concern the lower outer panel 47 of the pocket.

Thus, the assembly formed by the two face panels 43, 46 and the outerpanels 44, 47 of the pocket is attached over the entire periphery of theaperture, directly to the material of the garment panel along the openedges of the aperture, and to the counter flap 28 along that edge of theaperture from where the flap starts.

The folds 41 and 42 define between them, for the user raising the flap,a lateral opening 63 giving access to the inside of the pocket.

FIG. 10 shows the structure obtained as seen from the outside of thegarment, the flap 64 being shown raised, allowing the appearance,through the aperture 6, of the upper face panel 43, the lower race panel46 and the lateral opening 63 situated between them. The body 4 of theflap 64 has no discontinuity with respect to the garment panel 1, inparticular because the stitching 48 shown in FIG. 6 has not concernedthe material of the garment panel 1. When the flap 64 is folded down, itconceals the face panels 43, 46 and the opening 63.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the pocket is finished by attaching arectangular pocket inner panel 66 both to the upper outer and lowerouter panels 44 and 47 by means of peripheral stitching 68 which canalso concern the face panels 43 and 46, the tabs 36, the counter flap 28along the articulation line between the flap and the garment panel, theends 27 of the edging 13, and the neatness flaps 24. The stitching 68can also be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, where the pocket inner panel 66 isshown in dotted and dashed line to make it easier to distinguish thesituations before and after its positioning. It has been so arrangedthat the stitching 68 never concerns the visible material of the garmentpanel. Thus, after fitting the pocket inner panel, the externalappearance of the garment is still as shown in FIG. 10.

In the example of FIGS. 12 to 14, which will be described only where itdiffers from the preceding one, the outer panel 78 of the pocket is inone piece having the same dimensions as the inner panel 66. The twopanels 66, 77 are intended to be assembled to one another by peripheralstitching 81, along a line shown in dotted line on each of the twopanels 66 and 78 of FIG. 12.

Before this assembly, there has been formed in the outer panel 78 asecond U-shaped slit 82 whose dimensions correspond with those of theU-shaped slit 2 formed in the item panel 1, whose reverse face can beseen in FIG. 12. The correspondence of dimensions makes it possible forthe two slits 2, 82 to be superimposed.

The slit 2 having already been formed in the item panel 1, the actualpocket, formed by the assembled panels 66 and 78, is placed against theitem panel 1 in such a way that the outer panel 78 is pressed againstthe reverse surface of the item panel 1, and that the slits 2 and 82 aresuperimposed.

Two stitchings, for example in zig-zag form (FIGS. 13 and 14) are thenproduced, one of them 83 joining the inside edges of the U-shaped slits2 and 82, and the other 84 joining the outside edges of the U-shapedslits 2 and 82. As shown in FIG. 14, these stitchings can remain visibleon the right side of the item panel, but it is possible to conceal atleast one of them by means of an added edging.

In this embodiment of the invention, the zone 88 formed in the outsidepanel 78 inside the U-shaped slit 82 forms a counter flap attacheddirectly to the flap body 4 by the stitching 83. The stitchings 83 and84 can be the only connections between the actual pocket 66, 78 and theitem panel 1.

In this embodiment, the pocket flap 74 has a new function as it is alsopossible to put a hand into the pocket by pushing the flap towards theinside of the pocket.

The invention is of course not limited to the embodiment described andshown. The flap could have any contour that may be desired for aestheticor other reasons, for example oval instead of rectangular.

With reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 11, it is not obligatoryto provide a flap edging. For example it would be possible to place anedging around the aperture. Neither is the counter flap obligatorybecause the upper edge of the pocket could be unattached. The counterflap, if it is provided, could be formed in one piece with the pocketsurface. The two pieces 38 and 39 could also be combined in one piece bymeans of the pocket inner panel which would contiguously join togetherthe upper edge of the upper outer panel and the lower edge of the lowerouter panel of the pocket.

The pocket 66, 78 of FIG. 12, provided with a U-shaped slit 82 could beattached to a item panel slit as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to11. If the aperture of the garment panel is enlarged by the folding backof tabs 34, 35 as described, the U-shaped slit to be made in the outerpanel 78 of the pocket must be bigger than the slit 2 formed in thegarment panel. But it is possible, on the contrary, to attach an edgingalong the aperture of the garment panel and to hem the flap body, whichwould then finally have a size smaller than the U-shaped slit initiallyformed in the garment panel. In this case the U-shaped slit 32 in theouter panel 78 must have a correspondingly smaller size with respect tothe U-shaped slit 2.

I claim:
 1. A method for producing a flap pocket, comprising the stepsof:providing an item having a panel; forming in the item panel a slithaving a preselected contour to define a flap; forming an aperture inthe item panel at a location outside of the slit; and attaching aroundthe aperture a pocket having a lateral opening so that the lateralopening is positioned under the flap.
 2. A method according to claim 1;including the step of forming tabs in the item panel and along the slit.3. A method according to claim 2; wherein the attaching step comprisesattaching the pocket to the tabs.
 4. A method according to claim 2;wherein the step of forming the slit further comprises forming at leastone free end of the slit into a Y shape to define along the aperture oneof the tabs and to define the flap between the arms of the Y for foldingtowards an inner surface of the item panel.
 5. A method according toclaim 1; including the steps of forming another slit in an outer panelof the pocket to define a counter flap in the outer panel of the pocket,and attaching the counter flap to the flap defined by the slit formed inthe item panel.
 6. A method according to claim 5; including the steps ofsuperimposing and stitching outer edges of the slit formed in the outerpanel of the pocket and the slit formed in the item panel so that thepocket is attached around the aperture and the stitching is disposed onan outer face of the item panel.
 7. A method according to claim 1;wherein the slit has a pair of leg portions connected at one end thereofto define the preselected contour of the slit.
 8. A method according toclaim 7; wherein the preselected contour of the slit is generallyU-shaped.
 9. A method for producing a flap pocket in a panel of an item,comprising the steps:forming in a panel of an item a generally U-shapedslit to define a flap having a flap body integral with the item paneland at a location inside of the U-shaped slit; forming an aperture inthe item panel at a location outside of the U-shaped slit; and attachingaround the aperture a pocket having a lateral opening positioned underthe flap.
 10. A method according to claim 9, including the steps offorming tabs in the item panel and along the U-shaped slit so that thetabs are turned back towards an inner surface of the item; and attachingthe pocket around the aperture by attaching the pocket to the tabs. 11.A method according to claims 9 or 10; including the step of attaching aflap edging along mobile edges of the flap body.
 12. A method accordingto claims 9 or 10; including the step of attaching a flap edging alongmobile edges of the flap body to enlarge the flap to a dimension greaterthan the dimension of the U-shaped slit.
 13. A method according to claim10; wherein the U-shaped slit is formed by forming at least one free endof the U-shaped slit into a Y shape to define along the aperture one ofthe tabs which is turned back towards the inner surface of the item, todefine a flap tab along the flap body, and to define a neatness flapbetween the arms of the Y for folding towards an inner surface of theitem panel.
 14. A method according to claim 13; further comprisingattaching a flap edging to the flap body so that the flap edging extendsbeyond each free end of the U-shaped slit and is engaged behind the itempanel.
 15. A method according to claim 14; including the step ofattaching a counter flap to the flap edging so that the counter flapcovers an inner face of the flap body.
 16. A method according to claims9 or 10; including the step of attaching a counter flap to an inner faceof the flap body.
 17. A method according to claim 16; including the stepof attaching the pocket to the counter flap in the vicinity of or abovea line substantially corresponding to an axis of articulation of theflap with the item panel.
 18. A method according to claims 9 or 10;wherein the pocket is formed by attaching around the aperture an upperface panel and a lower face panel of the pocket each connected by a 180°fold with one of an upper outer panel and a lower outer panel of thepocket such that the folds are turned towards each other to define thelateral opening of the pocket, and thereafter attaching a pocket innerpanel to the periphery of the assembly formed by the upper outer paneland the lower outer panel of the pocket.
 19. A method according toclaims 9 or 10; including the step of forming a second generallyU-shaped slit in an outer panel of the pocket to define a counter flapin the outer panel of the pocket and to define the lateral opening ofthe pocket, and attaching the counter flap, at least indirectly, to theflap body.
 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the secondU-shaped slit is formed with dimensions which allow the second U-shapedslit to be superimposed on the U-shaped slit formed in the item panel;and including the step of superimposing and stitching the outside edgesof the U-shaped slit formed in the item panel and the second U-shapedslit to attach the pocket around the aperture such that the stitchingappears on an outer face of the item panel.
 21. A method according toclaim 19; wherein the second U-shaped slit is formed with dimensionswhich allow the second U-shaped slit to be superimposed on the U-shapedslit formed in the item panel; and including the step of superimposingand stitching the inside edges of the U-shaped slit formed in the itempanel and the second U-shaped slit in order to attach the counter flapto the flap body such that the stitching appears on an outer face of theflap.
 22. An item comprising a flap pocket obtained by a methodaccording to claims 9 or 10; wherein the flap body of the flap isintegral with the pocket, and the aperture is disposed under the flap.23. An item according to claim 22; wherein the flap pocket furthercomprises a flap edging connected to the flap body.
 24. An itemaccording to claim 22; wherein the flap pocket further comprises tabsprovided in the item panel along the aperture and turned towards theinside of the item, the pocket being connected to the tabs.
 25. An itemaccording to claim 24; wherein the counter flap is connected to an innerface of the flap body, and the pocket is connected to the counter flap.26. An item according to claim 25; wherein the pocket comprises at leastone face panel for closing the aperture under the flap with theexception of the lateral opening which provides access into the pocket.27. An item according to claim 25; wherein the pocket comprises twopieces of material folded through 180° to form a pair of folds definingtherebetween the lateral opening (63) of the pocket, each piece ofmaterial defining an upper and a lower outer panel of the pocket and anupper and a lower face panel of the pocket, the face panels closing theaperture behind the flap except for the lateral opening.
 28. An itemaccording to claim 25; wherein the pocket comprises an outer panelhaving a generally U-shaped slit defining a counter flap located insideof said U-shaped slit and connected to an inner face of the flap body.29. A flap pocket formed in a panel of an item, comprising:meansdefining a generally U-shaped slit in a panel of an item to define aflap body integral with the item panel and located inside of theU-shaped slit; means defining an aperture in a region outside of theU-shaped slit; and a pocket connected around the aperture and having alateral opening positioned under the flap body.
 30. A flap pocketaccording to claim 29; further comprising tabs provided in the itempanel along the U-shaped slit and being turned back towards an innersurface of the item panel.
 31. A flap pocket according to claim 29;further comprising a second generally U-shaped slit disposed in an outerpanel of the pocket to define a counter flap and to define the lateralopening of the pocket, the counter flap being connected to the flapbody.
 32. A flap pocket according to claim 31; wherein the secondU-shaped slit is superimposed and stitched to outer edges of theU-shaped slit in the item panel to thereby connect the pocket around theaperture and on an outer face of the item panel.